Cinematograph apparatus.



W. H. ANDERSON.

CiNEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLICA'IION FILED MAR 5 915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916 3 SHEETSSHEET i.

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ATVTORNEYS W. H. ANDERSON.

CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, I915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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A TORNEYS WITN E$SE$ @WM W. H. ANDERSON.

CiNEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1915.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

BY M WM f6 R N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT oEuicE.

WALTER HILLIER ANDERSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS.

Application filed March 5,

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, VALTER' HILLIER Axonsx, a subject of the King of Great Britain-and Ireland, and residing at Hampden House, Phoenix street, London, N. 1V., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to (inematograph Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cinematograph apparatus and more particularly to the arrangement, for masking the pictures.

\Vhen starting a new picture it generally happens that the film has not been placed upon the sprocket wheels so that the picture correctly registers with the aperture in film gate and more or less of the top or bottom of the picture is exhibited upon the screen. To overcome this it is necessary to provide means for raising or lowering the Maltese cross without it turning upon its'center; otherwise the pictures would continue to be displayed out of register with the shutter.

It is usual in cinematograph machines to work the Maltese cross gearing through a train of wheels comprising firstly an intermediate wheel which is actuated by the main driving mechanism and whose axle is mounted in the bush of the rocking member which carries the cam and Maltese cross wheels, which bush constitutes the turning. center of the rocking memberin the main frame. The intermediate wheel gears with a second wheel adapted to move in a vertical guide in the rocking member, while this latter wheel engages the wheel in axial connection with the cam wheel, the necessary adjusting motion of the. rocking member being obtained bv means of levers and links, whereby the slide carrying thesecond wheel is given a movement which provides the differential action required.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for adjusting the film which is simple in construction, has fewer parts and is more efficient, whereby the said system of linkages is dispensed with and the second wheel is given a rotary'move ment from a center fixed in relation to the main frame while remaining in the correct engagement with the cam gear wheel.

The invention consists broadlyin mounting the second wheel upon av radius arm one end of which turns about a pivot on the main frame while the other end is sup ported by and moves with the axle of the Specification of Letters Patent.

1915. Serial no. 12,461.

cam wheel whereby the axle of the second or differential wheel follows a radial movement when masking of the picture is being effected.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example the preferred method of carr ing the invention into effect, in which;

F igure 1 is a side elevation of a cinemato- Patented Jan. 18,1916.

graphic apparatus embodying the present ea invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevationeio'f the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional along the line A-B of Fig. 2. v

In this illustrated embodiment of the invention 1 represents the axle of the driving wheel 2, the axle being bushed in the rock- .ing member 3 which carries the Maltese cross wheel 4.

Upon the rocking member 3 is a bush 5 through which passes the axle 6 carrying the cam wheel 7 which gears with the Maltese cross or star wheel 4. The bush 5 constitutes the fulcrum of a radius arm 8 whose outer end is slotted at 9. Within the slot is 'apin or pivot 10 which is riveted to or otherwise secured to the bracket 11, which bracket is fixed to the mainframe 12 of the apparatus. On the radius arm 8-is a stud 18 carrying a second toothed or dilferential wheel 13 gearing with the two toothed wheels 2 and 15, the former being mounted on the driving shaft while the latter is secured to the axle 6 which carries the cam wheel 7. Fen-convenience of assembling, the cam and. stwugwheels are incased within a chamber 14which is formed by a recess in the rocking member and the cover plate 16, an inspection window 17 being provided as shown in front of the star wheel.

The gearing from toothed wheel 2 to the star --wheel 4 may be called the star wheel train.

The rocking arm 8 is maintained in its position upon the boss 5 by the set screw 20 working in a groove or by other suitable means.

The axle 19 of the star wheel 4 is carried by two ,bushiiigs in the rocking member 3 and between these supports is arranged the sprocket wheel 21' which draws the film through the gate of the apparatus.

The action of the mechanism is as follows: Upon starting the apparatus, should the film not be correctly masked, the rock-- frietiont'ight at the opposite end 94 being connected by the link into a convenient position on the member 3. l \1,.lo\\'ering the handle 3; link 25 is moved upward: this mo enn'llt tih es the boss end 5 of the-radius arm S which turns about the pivot. 10'. The

result of the pivot 10 being arranged where shown is that the same teeth of the" toothed wheels 2 and 1 remain in gear during the masking. presuming for the time being that the driving wheel 2, is at rest. lleneethe cam 7 and the star wheel 4.;do'not move relatirely to the rockingmemher 3. and the film is caught. up later if the member 3 rises and 'sooner ifthe menrher it is lowered,

whereby the masking or registration of the 'fil'm-with the opening-in the shlitter of the.

apparatus, is efl'erted.

It is to he understood that various modili- ('ations of the above merhanism are fiossihle without departing from the'general print-iple of the invention. f

llavinf: now deserihed n.) invention. what I elaiin as new 'and desire to serureln" Letters Patent is:- I i A mechanism for the masking or registration of the lilm with the opeiiing in the shutter of a cinematograph machine. (finiprising in combination a main frame memher, a driving wheel axle, a wheel thereon. a shutter with opening operated through the medium of said axle, a cam shaft, a cam wheel thereon. a Maltese el'osS gearing with said cam wheel. a rocking memher pivoted on the main frameat the said driving wheel axle,

a ltltlills arm carried by the shaft of the cam wheel, a bracket secured to the main frame,

name to this speeilieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\YA LT ER ll I LLI ER A \Vitnesses: 4

P. A. Un'rnw'arrn,

E. E. Pu'rpaxu.

D'ICRSON. 

